The number of speeding tickets that police have issued so far this year is up 30% compared to the whole of last year.
To date, just over 4,000 tickets have been handed out – compared to 3,063 in 2022, police said in a press release issued on Tuesday, 31 Oct.
Commissioner of Police Kurt Walton said the problem of speeding is nationwide, adding, “As I have said before, we cannot ticket our way out of this problem.”
He added, “As a community we must take responsibility to change our behaviour when we get behind the wheel.”
The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service is currently hosting community meetings, and so far, speeding has been one of the key topics raised, the press release said.
Some residents requested greater police presence and increased ticketing in order to reduce the problem.
Walton said that officers are delivering on community demands; however, people still continue to speed.
“We know ticketing isn’t going to solve the problem,” he stressed.
“Education resulting in change in driving behaviour is a lot harder to achieve; it’s not a quick fix, but it is a key to success.”
He said this forms part of the vital work police are contributing alongside the government and other agencies as part of the soon to be published National Road Safety Strategy.
The strategy aims to reduce road fatalities in Cayman, and also improve the road network and traffic legislation, enhance enforcement, and improve the overall driving experience, over the coming years.
“If every driver applied the following basic rules and advice, the result would be less collisions and less fatalities on our roads,” Walton said, referring to the list below.
- Slow down. Drive to the speed limits and the road conditions.
- Don’t overtake when it’s not safe to do so, or illegal to do so.
- Follow roundabout rules and indicate your turns.
- Don’t allow yourself to be distracted while driving. Put your phone down.
- Be patient when driving. Think of other road users and your passengers every time you get behind the wheel. The roads are to be shared, and road rules to be respected.
In July, police announced they had met with the Ministry of Home Affairs to discuss the possible implementation of a static speed-camera system in the Cayman Islands.
The update came during a public meeting on crime when police said they had prosecuted 1,351 people for speeding in George Town alone since the beginning of the year.
Speeding hotspot Shamrock Road, where 500 tickets were issued, had been pinpointed as a potential location for a pilot programme which would test the effectiveness of the system.
At the time, Superintendent Roje Williams, head of RCIPS uniform and special operations, said a lot of infrastructure would need to be tested before any system went island-wide.
The Ministry of Home Affairs would be responsible for funding and setting up any system – but it has yet to release any official information on the project.
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I’m really hoping the picture included in the headline is from a few years ago…..Because if these officers are still wearing masks outside when its been proven that masks literally did NOTHING to stop the spread of covid then we are helpless as a society!
A major speeding hotspot is Frank Sound Road, which has little to no police presence ever. It’s a very dangerous road for residents and there’s no sensible reason why it should be a 50MPH zone. As a high-density residential area, the speed limit should be lowered and there should be more police presence to catch speeders as well. as persons who are overtaking multiple cars at once and creating multiple conditions.